Couple Busted For Shining Laser At Helicopter 863
coondoggie sends us to another Network World piece, this one about a couple charged with shining a green laser into the cockpit of a police helicopter. The FBI and the US attorney's office charged the California couple under a federal statute. They could end up paying a $250,000 fine and doing 20 years of jail time. "The complaint states that on November 8, 2007, at about 10:55 p.m., a green laser beam illuminated the cockpit of a Kern County Sheriff's Department helicopter, which was flying at 500 feet during routine patrol in Bakersfield, California. When the light hit the cockpit, it disoriented the Kern County Sheriff's pilot, causing pain and discomfort in his eyes for a couple of hours, the FBI said in a statement."
Re:What kind of laser? (Score:5, Interesting)
They hit a pilot (Score:3, Interesting)
The article didn't seem to indicate what kind of laser they used.
I also wonder how bad they where effected if they where still able to find the laser. That is just a point of curiosity. Certainly shining a laser of any significant power at an aircraft is to be frowned upon. Obviously excluding vehicles of war.
Re:What kind of laser? (Score:3, Interesting)
My guess is that it was something like this [thinkgeek.com], but it could have been something more powerful like this [thinkgeek.com]. Both are consumer devices, but both are still potentially damaging with sustained exposure.
If it was a consumer device I have a hard time buying it "causing pain and discomfort in his eyes for a couple of hours" so maybe I'm wrong. That or the FBI is exaggerating just a bit.
How big was that laser? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:What kind of laser? (Score:5, Interesting)
So, what if these people were using it 'as advertised', to point to sky objects, and this pilot flew INTO their beam? Is that still a chargeable crime? Do they have to prove intent of these people trying to shine it at the helicopter to cause damage or pain to the pilot?
Most likely not your ordinary pointer (Score:3, Interesting)
Filtering (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I have some doubts (Score:3, Interesting)
I had a laser shined at me while driving (Score:4, Interesting)
I was driving along the highway one time at night 2 years ago, and a laser beam was shined into my car. For all you guys that think that the pilot is bullshitting, you guys are idiots. The laser flashed me for a split-second, and even though the laser went through the car windshield or whatever (I'm not sure where it came from) I was totally blinded. I was able to safely pull over, but had I been driving fast or in the middle of traffic, I probably could have easily killed my wife and my two kids. One eye was worse than the other but it got better, but as a precaution, my wife drove the rest of the way, but I was infuriated that this happened, and that some dumbass with a laser pointer could have killed me.
We need laws like that so people who attempt to blind people piloting planes, helicopters, cars, or whatever go to jail and learn a good lesson.
Re:What kind of laser? (Score:5, Interesting)
Even shooting a laser through a public space (meaning anywhere outdoors) in the US is considered a misdemeanor. Pointing at a police office is a more serious crime because they may mistake it for a gun.
So while 'sky pointing' is advertised as a feature, it doesn't actually mean that it may be used that way.
Re:What kind of laser? (Score:4, Interesting)
Nobody was accidentally killed in this case but it could have been close. For example, compare RIAA fines against murder charges and you begin to realize it's not a level playing field
Re:What kind of laser? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:What kind of laser? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Dumb. Asses. (Score:2, Interesting)
Now I'm going to explain to you how it works in the real world. In the real world, I have no hope of modifying police department policy, even if I did all that. Furthermore, even if I did get official policy changed, pilots have significant discretion to deviate from altitude requirements, and then how do I meausre that he acted in contravention of them? And even if I did file a complaint, using equipment capable of measuring noise, how long until it's acted upon?
ALL because a cop didn't give a damn about the people he's flying over, cause gosh, it's just much more convenient to hover low.
Anyway, I accept that they're going to be conflicting interests between law enforcement that needs to catch people, and the the people who want to avoid cop-related nuisances. That's understandable, and I don't mean to paint the laser-pointer people as 100% justified, sorry if I gave that impression.
It's just that I'm appalled that the cop has to nerve to gripe about those gosh-darn laser-pointing nuisances making it SO hard to fly over them, apparently not even realizing how big a nuisance HE is to them.
Re:What kind of laser? (Score:5, Interesting)
They're a popular accessory for stargazers, as seen here [telescopes.com]. Obviously, shining them at people/aircraft is a bad thing, but I didn't think their proper use was illegal.
A good topic for mythbusters (Score:3, Interesting)
Sorry, not buying it. The odds of shining a narrow focus beam directly into a pilot's tiny pupils, over a great distance, likely through a floor/door/visor, etc. are just too incredible.
I've got choppers flying around me here and I just can't see it happening. Literally. Who the hell has such good eyesight they can aim a laser that well without something like a telescope, binoculars or a viewfinder? The article doesn't say but if these aids weren't present then I'm simply not believing it.
I know about morons shining these things at planes on final approach but those are people standing directly in the path of planes with the noses down just well enough to provide direct line of sight AND the pilots are looking in their general direction at the landing lights, so it's a bit more plausible - but still hard to believe.
Re:Dumb. Asses. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:No one is that accurate with a laser pointer (Score:1, Interesting)
I could. When I'm taking pictures with a long telephoto lens on my camera, I can manage to keep the aiming point within a ten-foot circle at three miles. Strap a laser to the camera, and that corresponds to a ten-inch circle at a quarter-mile.
Re:Dumb. Asses. (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:No one is that accurate with a laser pointer (Score:2, Interesting)
This might be a knee-jerk reaction but I'm sorry but I can't say that I believe someone was 'injured' by the laser with the information here.
~ Throws down a crudely welded sign that says 'Plausible'
Re:What kind of laser? (Score:5, Interesting)
I mean, if you light up an aircraft 500-1000ft up in the air, and you turn off the light and walk/run out of the area, how the hell are they going to find and PROVE it was you that did this??
Re:Laws != Justice (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:No one is that accurate with a laser pointer (Score:2, Interesting)
Also, some (I don't know about this Kern County's) police and other LE helicopters have stabilized cameras, heat searching lenses, and other optics gizmos. If THIS helo had them, and he used these capabilities to zero in on them, and then fixated with his own eyes instead of viewing via the "glass cockpit" repeaters, then he might want to think about that the next time he flies out -- assuming he retains his vision certification.
It IS illegal in many areas to point laser in any kind of manner (menacing or not) into traffic because only a few years ago reckless teens and adults pointed and shined them into the eyes of motorists who then thought they were being targeted by drive-by or hiding shooters. I think those were red pointers, and green seems new (to me) as an offensive activity that gets noticed in cities.
The pilot might have been smarter to localize the origination and then have dispatch send a squad car to sneak up on them. The pilot had no business dwelling his vision directly for so long considering that he MIGHT have become disoriented and crash his machine onto population.
Once the harmful lasing occurred, he should have (if it were possible) trained his thermal optics gear to lock on and stabilize his hover, or fly a stealthy pattern to not tip off the laser pointers that he was teasing them to delay their quitting before getting apprehended.
Of course, I'm only quarterbacking.
Re:Obligatory (Score:3, Interesting)
Its pretty dangerous and examples need to be set.
Over here in Australia there are idiots who do it to aircraft which are landing.
No one has crashed yet but its only a matter of time.
Speaking as a retired military... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:No one is that accurate with a laser pointer (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:No one is that accurate with a laser pointer (Score:1, Interesting)
For all the PR & sympathy it'll generate for those 'oh-so-noble guardians of our lives' I'n sure his supers won't mind him faking some worker's-comp time for a month or so.
Most cops are liars who can, and do, use the law against their perceived enemies because the courts won't forbid them.
Re:I had a laser shined at me while driving (Score:4, Interesting)
People should be completely and utterly aware of their actions at all times if there's even a slight chance they might affect the safety and health of other people. I've read too many stories about people getting injured and killed by asshole kids throwing rocks at cars to think that there shouldn't be REALLY serious repercussions for crimes like this, REGARDLESS of whether they hurt someone or not.
What's the difference between intended almost-manslaughter and manslaughter?
Re:I had a laser shined at me while driving (Score:0, Interesting)
they blast their high powered spot lights at our cars and our rear view windows
then the shine their kyptonite flashlights into our eyes when they roll up to your window
whats good fot the gander is good for the goose
Re:What kind of laser? (Score:3, Interesting)
I'll order an array of those for my dark, gothic castle tower, then. Shine it over the villagers! They'll never know why it hurts so much to glance at my evil castle, they'll just know that overly curious people are punished with an unnatural blindness. Serves them right!